Jackson Free Press

Talk to any coach long enough, and he will tell you two things: One, that sports teach life lessons and, two, that sports build character.

Most of the time, athletes learn these two things during practice. Keep talking with a coach long enough, and eventually, you will hear about the "blood, sweat and tears" that went into preparing for the season.

Sometimes, though, these lessons come from off the field, and that's when they frequently come with another important lesson: giving back to the community.

On Saturday, June 15, members of the Calloway High School football team volunteered their time for Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson Project, combining all three lessons.

You can bet that the players gave some "blood, sweat and tears" while they learned to hammer and saw, or measure twice and cut once—instead of blocking and tackling, or throwing and catching.

Callaway Head Coach Darrell Jones said the players took the voluntary community service as an opportunity to learn leadership skills and as a team-building exercise.

"We want to build team chemistry to win football games and to be the best we can be on and off the field," Jones said. "It is important that athletes give back to their community."

Coaches and players worked side-by-side to help the future homeowners earn the required 250 hours of sweat equity to qualify for a Habitat for Humanity home.

This is not the first time the Calloway football team has given its time to give back to its community. Jones said that the team has volunteered for other projects such as building playgrounds at Jackson Public Elementary Schools but, to his knowledge, this is the first time the players have done community service with Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson.

"We believe teaching should include how to give back to the community," Jones said. "Working on a Habitat for Humanity home and making a difference in the life of a family is a great opportunity to do that."

These players learned lessons they can carry throughout their lives as they move from Calloway to college to becoming adults. The life lessons learned will also help them become leaders of the communities in the coming years.

The hard work in the hot summer sun also helped prepare the team for the upcoming football season. Callaway player Malik Mayberry said volunteering at the Habitat build was a good conditioning exercise.

"It helps us get stronger, and we can help the community," he said.